Skip to main content

New on SI: NFL Kickers Have Historically Bad Week With Record-Tying 12 Missed PATs

It's been a historically bad week for NFL kickers, with 12 missed PATs through the conclusion of Sunday's evening games.

View the
original article to see embedded media.

Kickers in many ways have a thankless job. Make a kick, and often times nobody really cares. Miss one? Well, people won't stop bringing it up.

The 2021 season has already established a new high-water mark in kicking with Ravens kicker Justin Tucker's NFL record-setting 66-yard field goal to beat the Lions in Week 3. Two weeks later, though, we might have established a new low point.

Prior to kickoff on Sunday Night Football between the Bills and Chiefs, kickers had missed a whopping 12 extra points in Week 5. That ties the league's Super Bowl era record set in Week 11 during the 2016 season, the year after the NFL moved PAT's back to the 15-yard line.

Rams kicker Matt Gay got the train rolling on Thursday when he missed his first PAT attempt of the game in the third quarter. That set a strong tone for Sunday, when the kicking woes weren't just limited to PATs.

The Browns-Packers game turned into the stuff of kickers' nightmares, with Green Bay's Mason Crosby and Cincinnati's Evan McPherson combining to miss five go-ahead or game-winning field goals in the final minutes of regulation and overtime. Crosby also missed a PAT of his own earlier in the game, though he did make the eventual game-winning 49-yard kick in OT.

The Chargers have had as many kicking woes as any team in recent years, so of course, they were involved in the festivities on Sunday as well. Tristan Vizcaino missed two of his five PAT attempts, the latter of which would have tied the game with 3:15 remaining. This story has a happy ending, though, as the Chargers rallied to beat the Browns, 47-42, though Vizcaino did not get another PAT or field goal attempt.

The late, great former coach Buddy Ryan once famously said, "Kickers are like taxi cabs. You can always go out and hire another one." That's probably a disservice to the difficulty kickers have at successfully doing their jobs, though after Sunday's performance, there might be more than a few head coaches who put that maxim to the test.

More NFL Coverage:

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

New on SI: This Day in Sports History: Bo Jackson Drafted First Overall

On April 29, 1986, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Jackson with the first overall pick in the NFL draft after being told by the Heisman Trophy winner that he would not play for the team. Multi-sport athlete Bo Jackson was announced as the No. 1 pick of the NFL draft 34 years ago today, despite his own wishes.  On April 29, 1986, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Jackson with the first overall pick after being told by the running back that he would not play for the team. Later that year, Jackson was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the fourth round of the MLB amateur draft and chose to sign a three-year, $1.07 million contract to play professional baseball.  Jackson was turned off by the Buccaneers after owner Hugh Culverhouse told the Heisman Trophy winner he was cleared by the NCAA and SEC to take a visit on his private jet. The NCAA later told Jackson the trip had not been cleared and that he lost his remaining college baseball eligibility due to the violation. Jac...
Read more

New on SI: Report: Seahawks in Talks with Falcons Over Julio Jones Trade

Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson has reportedly held phone conversations with Jones over a potential move. The Seahawks are reportedly in discussions with the Falcons over a trade for seven-time Pro Bowl receiver Julio Jones, according to ESPN's Dianna Russini . Jones and Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson have also reportedly held phone conversations over the possibility of playing together.  Russini reported on Thursday  that Jones is set to be traded as early as this upcoming week and that the Falcons have already received an offer of a future first-round pick on the table. The Seahawks don't have a first-round pick in 2022 after sending it to the New York Jets in a trade for safety Jamal Adams last offseason. Jones, 32, will enter the season with the third-most catches of all active receivers behind Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Brown. On Monday, the former first-round pick out of Alabama confirmed his exit from Atlanta on Fox Sports 1 after requesting a trade e...
Read more